Construction Magnet - Product Profile: Exotic Metals

Product Profile: Exotic Metals

March 27, 2009

Blackwood Associates WeatherSteel is the product generally known in the industry as Weathering Steel (more commonly referred to by the US Steel trade name Cor-Ten). It is an 18-gauge (.04875) cold-rolled steel product conforming to ASTM specification A-606 Type 4. WeatherSteel develops a dense oxide that results in a rustic finish when exposed to the atmosphere.

Bridger Steel Bridger offers one of the best selections of rustic/aged products in the U.S. The Montana company produces Cor-Ten, cold-rolled, copper, galvanized and bonderized roofing products in a variety of profiles, including three corrugated profiles and five standing seam profiles. Bridger also offers painted steel options in more than 40 colors.

CopperCraft CopperCraft combines old world craftsmanship with modern day technology and equipment to provide high quality yet affordable architectural sheet metal products. Experienced sheet metal craftsmen will fabricate custom products from original ideas or from the CopperCraft collection of products including dormers, finials, spires and more. Products are available in copper, tin-coated copper, pre-patina copper and steel, mill finish aluminum, galvanized and stainless steel.

Custom-Bilt Metals Vail Majestic Copper Shingles offer the classic beauty of solid copper. Available in three rich finishes, they are fabricated from 16-ounce solid copper coil, using an exclusive process that adds dimension, depth and strength to each shingle. A patented system interlocks panels securely on all four sides, offering excellent resistance to high winds, snow loads and nature’s harshest conditions.

Engineered Materials Solutions CopperPlus copper clad stainless steel architectural materials provide the classic beauty of solid copper, but with better performance characteristics and at significantly lower cost. Visually indistinguishable from solid copper, CopperPlus is produced by cladding thin layers of copper on both sides of a core strip of Type 430 stainless steel. Although CopperPlus is appreciably stronger than virtually all typical architectural copper alloys, it forms easily using the same tools and equipment. CopperPlus is available in a range of gauges and widths for applications such as roof pan, rain drainage, flashing, trim and decorative components.

Firestone Building Products/Una-Clad Whether it is copper, stainless steel, bare galvanized, acrylume or the newest additions, RHEINZINK materials and PatriotGreen, FreedomGray and EverGreen from Revere Copper, Una-Clad can satisfy the designer and contractor’s needs. In recognizing a responsibility to the design professional and building owner, Una-Clad appreciates the need for special attention to detail, as well as the need for maximum manufacturing flexibility to provide quality, value and performance.

Construction Magnet - The peacock of metals: copper

The peacock of metals: copper

April 16, 2006by Jim Austin

It may be the bright shiny look right after installation, or one of the shades of brown that show up in the next few years, or the bluish-green look that evolves a decade or two later, but at some point during its aging process, a copper roofing material will hit on a color that appeals to everyone. Copper has a rich architectural history — for more than 100 years, copper has served as roofing or as an accent on bay windows, dormers, domes, spires, or gutters. Its history can be linked to its durability and prestigious appearance. “For some, they love how it looks and for some it’s a status thing,” says Joe Chiovare of Custom-Bilt Metals. “I remember Donald Trump pointing out his favorite building in an episode of The Apprentice. They were flying over a building he owns and he said it was his favorite because it had a copper roof.” That’s quite a testimonial and it’s deserved. Copper is the only roofing material ever specified by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. For years, copper was reserved for institutional applications — buildings that will serve the public or a congregation for generations. As early as the 1700s, those charged with making roofing material decisions for university buildings, government buildings, and churches had the foresight to choose copper. The life-cycle cost of copper can make it a bargain on institutional applications. The copper roof on Old Christ Church in Philadelphia was installed in 1742 and is believed to be the oldest copper roof in the United States. For many such structures, the copper roof is the most architecturally distinguishable feature, and it’s all about the look. Copper is truly the metal of many colors. It’s easy to see just looking at a handful of pennies: new pennies are shiny and bright, while the older ones may be brown or even green. (Do you think pennies are Trump’s favorite coin because they’re made of copper?) “People with money think copper is muy bitchin’ and they’re putting in on second homes, $2 million and $3 million homes,” says Drew Popson of Custom-Bilt. “It’s more bragging rights than anything else … you know, ‘I got a copper roof.’” Customers who know copper as a roofing material accept and appreciate the graceful maturation. For some, that aging process is the attraction. Others want a specific shade of copper and want it now and forever, with no changes.

Patinating, pre-patinating For those who lack the patience to wait for copper to reach the patina green it’s famous for, there are methods to speed up the process — or at least present the illusion the process has been accelerated. According to the Copper Development Association, various chemical solutions can be applied to achieve a statuary finish (ammonium sulfide base or potassiu...

Construction Magnet - Who needs paint?

For your customers, they collect rain in a beautiful and stylish manner. For you, they can collect the kind of margins that will keep you going back for more.

We’re talking about unpainted gutters — manufactured from natural metals or exotic metals like copper and zinc. From homes to historical buildings, unpainted gutters are definitely the “make-a-statement” touch when it comes to rain handling systems.

According to the most recent survey conducted by Metal Roofing Magazine and Gutter Opportunities , almost 42 percent of readers who install gutters, install copper gutters. Terne or stainless steel gutters, as well as zinc gutters, are installed by 8.2 percent of readers.

Generally, painted gutters — steel or aluminum — are supposed to blend in or match colors on the building. Unpainted gutters provide the customer or architect with a unique aesthetic that stands out.

A little bit of everything Frank Heneghan of Connecticut Gutter likes working with unpainted gutters — copper, zinc and even galvanized steel.

“We’ve done some work with one architect who likes the look of galvanized steel,” Heneghan says. “It’s cheaper than aluminum and it’s got a good look. He uses it like an accent, but a flamboyant accent that stands out. Most architects try to make the gutters blend in.”

Heneghan says it’s a little heavier than aluminum at its .032-inch thickness and more rigid. He says it can be sealed of soldered, but soldering reduces the life expectancy (anywhere from 12-20 years) of the material because the bead will begin rusting in as little as 2-3 weeks.

Heneghan’s company also installs zinc and copper gutters and has found there is almost no limit to the application possibilities. “We’ve been installing quite a bit of zinc for residential lately,” he says. “The zinc products, from RHEINZINK , are superior products. People that come over from Europe or who do their research know what they want. They like the look and they know it’s going to last a long time. They want it because it’s robust.”

Connecticut Gutter’s installations of copper run the gamut as well, including jobs at the University of Connecticut, a private high school with a brick façade and several homes with cedar shake roofing. “Those homes just call for copper,” Heneghan says. “Even the small 200-year-old cottages get copper because they want to keep the traditional look. If they can afford it, they want it.”

Copper beauty “They come to us looking for copper, we don’t usually have to sell them on it,” says Laura Tucker, a sales representative at The Copper Gutter Shop of Orleans, Mass. The Copper Gutter Shop offers copper gutters and copper gutter parts like elbows,...

Welcome to the Construction Magnet Local Pages. Here you can find local information about Brick Veneer Bowing in North Kansas City, MO. We have compiled a list of businesses and services around North Kansas City, including Masonry Contractors that should help you with your search. Should you wish to find help online, the ads on this page have also been targeted to Building Materials in order to better help you find what you are looking for. We hope this page helps satisfy your local needs.